How Do You Prune Orchid Plants?
Orchids are essentially indoor plants. They might seem relatively easy to take care of but the pruning step of planting these fairly little plants is a bit technical. Great care is required while pruning them. Some of the simple steps could be followed, to make it a healthy plant inside your garden. So, grasp your scissors. I will tell you when you need to prune and how to do it perfectly.
Benefits
Pruning is necessary for your orchids, it keeps them fresh and healthy. It also provides you a chance to detect unfolding problems. Another important benefit of pruning is that you remove or cut the diseased tissue. This tissue may be the habitat of disease-causing fungi, bacteria, or viruses. The most important benefit of Orchid pruning is that more buds and flowers appear after pruning.
Sterilize your scissors or pruning blades
It does not matter which technique you use to trim your Orchid. But sterilization of pruning scissors is very important. If scissors or pruning shears are contaminated then, there is a chance of the spread of viral diseases during the pruning process. Blades can be sterilized either by using flame or by dipping the shears in alcohol for 15 to 30 seconds. Make sure that scissors or blades are completely dipped in alcohol.
Discord the disease or damaged plant part properly. And never make compost of diseased plant material. Because diseased microorganisms can be spread to other garden plants.
If leaves are too crowded, then prune them to ensure healthy environmental condition for plants.
It must be made clear in the mind that different types of orchids require specific care that are only particular to their types to grow a healthy orchid. Orchids are divided into following three categories.
- Phalaenopsis Orchid
- Young orchid
- Dendrobium Orchid
Phalaenopsis Orchid:
It is commonly known as Moth orchid. It is one of the famous species that belongs to the Orchidaceae family. Shears are very important. A super sharp shear will work great for you. A cleaner cut can only be made if the shear is sharp. The foundation of the finest Orchid are a cleaner cut. Following are the precautions we should take in mind while the Orchid is growing.
Cut black the flowers that are fading. Cutting down the flowers, while they are fading while the Orchid is blooming is the way to maximize the vitality of the plant.
The Cut should be clean, and it should go back to the main branch and you have to do it, again and again when the blooming process is going on.
Major pruning comes when all the flowers have been faded and the orchid plant has been done with the blooming part. This fall makes most of the orchid plants go in their dormant phase, you must plan to prune them.
First of all, you have to trim the stem, that acquires bloom on it, about, roughly speaking an inch away from the stalk of the main branch, I am reminding you, make the cut as clean as possible and if there are many yellow spots cut the whole branch up to the main branch, so the plant can grow itself back healthier.
Now you are going to remove the orchid away and dispose of the dread parts.
You might replace the plant in a bigger pot and give it room to grow even bigger. Use this practice every year. It will be helpful for the plant to be healthy and glowy.
Young orchid:
Pruning is required for young orchids on a regular basis. To increase the size of the roots and blossoms. Trimming the stalk of orchid plants when they are young is the ideal technique to cut them, and it should be done back to the main branch. As time passes it will grow more healthier, bigger, and more strong.
Dendrobium Orchid:
The technique of trimming is different for different orchids. The baseline here is to remember that you have to trim the flowers as they fade out but always leave the stem. The reason behind this is that next year the flowers would be on the same stalk. Trim the roots and the other steps of potting and repotting can be as we have learned before.
General tips:
The best lighting is the best friend to orchid make sure to put it in the light, near a window, or somewhere you find the light more accessible.
There will be a huge difference between the plants that have proper lights and those that have no proper lights, so act accordingly for your plant.
Never, ever wet the leaves of the orchid while watering them. Water them carefully, but regularly. The point is water should not be left to sit on the leaves, if in some case you have watered them, you might want to dry the leaves with the towel.
Avoid allowing water to sit on the base of the plant. It can kill the plants by the process of rotting down the roots. You might not want this for your plant. water them properly.
In summer, once a week and in winter once every two weeks would be sufficient.
Water them regularly and water them very carefully.
